Yes Utti is the place for the Army Airborne guys. They are an attachment unit, and work with the normal jaegers, for example securing vital enemy personnel , tactically important locations etc. Also enemy’s fighting enemy SOF is their job. These guys are divided in to 2 sections, Airborne and Long range reconnance.
Airborne Jaeger Company
Trains parajägers, concrpts, but is only for volunteers and has an tight entry exam.
They are trained the basic skills of an SOF operator.
Special Jaeger Company
Consists of specialjägers, enlisted men with advanced training as SOF operator.
They are mostly but not all former parajägers, even tighter entry exam is open to all services in FDF.
Utti is also the center of Military police training that is given in all arms of FDF.
Military police specialize in protecting strategic personnel/installations and destroying enemy SOF.
Army also has 1 recon unit (18 men) per company, who are responsible for gathering intel for friendly troops and slowing enemy`s movement. These guys are divided in 2 section, armoured and non-armoured. Armoured recon uses “help” in their movement, where non-armoured moves strictly by foot far behind enemy lines (usually some 20-50 km). These are also called as “Sissi” in Finnish, and hold great pride in their guerrilla warfare tactics. These recon team members are ranked sergeant or higher. One team is formed by 6 men; team leader (2nd LT or higher), co-leader(SGT), sniper pair and 2 other soldiers.
You are mixing batallion level recon platoons with brigade level recon companies, the latter are the ones operating in that debth.
There are also recon AND sissi companys.
Recon is more of a LRRP unit, mainly gathering intel and controlling long range artillery.
They operate in small squads.
Sissi troops have a more active role in engaging enemy in guerilla tactics.
They usually operate in platoon to batallion size.
They are conscripts and dont have an entry exam but are chosen based on their skills on civilian life and abilities shown during basic training.
Then the Navy. It’s basically the same as the Army, but the difference is the tip of the spear. Where the army has Airborne troops, Navy has Frogmen, trained in shoreline garrison of Upinniemi, some 40(?) km west of Helsinki. They also are divided in 2 sections, combat divers and Utility(for lack of a better word) divers. “Utility” divers responsibility is setting up and clearing mines, sabotage etc., when combat divers are strictly a “fighting force”. Under them, there is also these same recon teams.
Combat divers are trained in the same division as in Utti Jäger Regiment.
Concripts are volunteer that have to pass an tight exam to get on the course.
They are trained the basic skills of SOF.
After concript service they can apply to enlist for the Navy SOG with advanced SOF skills.
Navy also trains Coastal jägers in "force recon" role for the maritime enviroment.
Also the Finnish Border guard trains their own forces, just called border jaegers.
Border Guard belongs under the ministry of interior, like Karhu-ryhmä (Bear squad), but during war time functions as part of FDF.
They train Borderjägers, concripts, that are all volunteers, in Sissi and LRRP role without entry exams but with strict qualifications.
They also train Special borderjägers, also concripts but with a tight entry exam, trained in basic SOF skills.
Border Guard has also platoons of enlisted Special borderjägers with advanced SOF training.
Police forces have their own team, called Karhu-ryhmä (Bear squad).
Karhu specializes in anti terrorist and hostage operations but is also to my knowledge an allround SOF.
Also I have to make a statement, though probably only Utti Reg. And Frogmen come anywhere near the International SOF (SOCOM,SAS,GROM), every soldier in the army are highly trained in guerrilla warfare, camouflage and marksmanship, which is purely based in the Finnish landscape and the lack of numbers of our soldiers.
The enlisted parts of Special jägers, Combat divers, Special border jägers and Karhu are the active operators of Finland SOF. Im not going to guess "whos best", they cross train and share experiences between each other and international partners. I also wouldnt underestimate the concript/reserve parts of the Finnish SOF family, they are trained based on experiences of these units. But i wouldnt say every soldier in the entire army is highly trained in guerilla warfare, they are trained the basics. I agree that the marksmanship in the army is generally of good level.
And BTW, I should not be telling this by army`s laws, but for your eyes only
You really didnt say anything not public knowledge.:)
